CHAPTER 40

"Why are you following me?"

Although she was putting up a brave front and seeming not to care, She was not pleased with the looks tracking them as she moved to her truck. Even if her reputations were in ruins, she still had a duty to protect her daughter

"We need to talk honey."

"Don't call me that plus we have absolutely nothing to talk about. We did enough talking already and look what good it did us."

She had said she hated him several times in the past but the recent one after their love making stabbed at his heart. But he deserved it, even if she dragged his heart across the pavement for all to see.

He sighed, wishing so hard he knew what to say.

"I'll follow you to pick up Nichole," he said weakly.

"No thank you. I can do that on my own."

"Common on, I just want to. She'll be happy to see me." He grinned happily. It was obvious how much he loved his little girl.

Will he love another child the same way? What if he thought of her probable pregnancy as another trap?

"I don't want you to come with me, simple," she said as she moved to climb into her truck and closed the door. He checked her action with his hand. She struggled with the door then gave up.

It was no use after all. He was about four times bigger and stronger then her.

"I said I'm sorry Nadine. I'll do anything you want me to do," he pleaded urgently.

"Anything?," she asked, an evil look entering her eyes.

"Anything."

She looked around, seeing a few people paying rapt attention to them. Then she turned to face him and gave him a wild smile. "I want you to go on bended knees and confess really loud how much you love me and can't do without me in your life," she said sweetly.

She saw his throat working hard, swallowing rapidly and opening his mouth but no words came forth.

Nicholas wanted to blurt the words, he wanted to spit them out but they weren't coming, just beyond his reach and eluding him.

"I thought as much," she said sadly and wrenched her door out of his lax hand and slammed it hard. She sped away from him before he could say another word.

What had she been expecting? Obviously not an actual confession, she laughed at herself.

Him asking her to tell him whatever she wanted obviously didn't involve his heart when he asked the question and she had foolishly made him involved and made herself sad in the process.

She deserved all the pain she was feeling due to his rejection.

.........

Nicholas stood rooted to the spot, still trying to say the words.

She had definitely caught him off guard and that wasn't fair. He had gone mute like a girl in the presence of her crush and he wasn't proud of himself. He had messed up a great opportunity to tell her how he really felt but he was ready to try again.

.............

Nadine felt lost as she entered the store, her thoughts far away and worried. What if she was really pregnant? There was no way she was telling Nicholas.

She walked up to sheila who was engrossed in a book. Nichole noticed her presence and jumped off to hug her. She felt like all was going to be fine again with her daughter's arms wrapped around her neck.

"Look who we have here. If it isn't my 'locker room' cousin," sheila said with a big grin on her face when she finally noticed her.

She moved close to her and whispered through her teeth "Don't you dare bring it up here," she threatened nodding towards a curious Nichole "And how did you find out so fast?"

"A diner that saw you walk out called Caroline while she was standing right in front of me to pay her bills and she didn't hesitate impacting the news to at least four other shoppers. You could guess what happens after that."

She snickered indelicately "They should get a life. I'm not the only one in town."

"What news is that?," Nichole's curiosity finally made her blurt out.

"You, young lady, doesn't need to know. Now scram. Get your coat and let's be off. Don't forget I run an inn," she said with an air of superiority to Sheila.

"With just a guest, the first in the year," she said and scoffed.

She had climbed into her truck and was closing the door when it was forcefully wrenched open for the second time that day.

She rolled her eyes and looked to clash gaze with a tall, drop dead gorgeous blonde whose blue eyes were spitting fire at her.

Holy shit! Nicholas' girlfriend!

Was she there for retribution because she already found out she slept with her man? Did she have to go on her knees and beg for forgiveness? What if she gets dragged by her hair in the presence of her daughter?

She climbed down slowly from her truck before she was dragged from it. But one thing was certain, if the woman was going to go for screaming and hair pulling, she was going to give it all she got. Not that she looked the type to resolve to such measures anyway.

She looked super graceful and elegant in her skyscraping ankle strap heels and freakishly short V neck flare dress.

No, she wouldn't.

"I don't get it, what does he see in you?," the Gazelle asked her, scanning her from her red head to her flat sensible shoe clad feet.

Nadine knew she was asking for what Nicholas saw in her but she was as clueless as the Gazelle so she shrugged and that pissed her off.

"I see you are trying to tie him with your little basta...."

She never got to say the word completely as Nadine reached up to clip her mouth with her fingers.

"Don't you dare say the word," she said in a little menacing whisper. Gazelle stared at her for a moment in shock then recovered herself and pried her lips from her fingers. She was spitting mad with her red lipstick smudged around her mouth.

"How dare you?," she screamed furiously.

"I dare as a mother who doesn't want her child to hear such gibberish from the likes of you," she answered with her own eyes glowing furiously.

If anyone was going to be calling her daughter names, it wouldn't be from Nicholas' whore or whoever the Gazelle was to him. She didn't give a care in the world.

"You'll hear from my lawyers. I'm going to teach you fat townie a lesson," she said shouting and backing away.

Their little tirade had attracted some people, including Sheila. They all turned away after the blonde left.

"Dear Nadine Waters, I didn't know you had it in you. That took some spunk," Sheila said as she stared at her in admiration. "I'm so proud of you."

"Who was that?," Nichole asked in a small voice as she climbed back into the truck.

"She's no one you need to know honey." She wasn't going to say the word whore around her daughter.

...........

"What stunt did you pull with Nadine?," Nicholas asked Katrina calmly in her hotel room,the last place on earth he wanted to be.

News about what happened in town between her and Nadine had gotten to him real fast and he had been really angry knowing Nichole witnessed it all. He had driven straight to the hotel she was staying in town and gone up to her room. All information needed about her whereabout had been sent to his phone countless times by her in the past week.

"I warned her off my man," she replied in an equally calm voice as she moved to divest herself of her bathrobe. He had come in just after her shower. She was completely naked underneath.

"And that's supposed to be me right?," he asked with a mirthless laughter.

"Of course," she answered and blinked rapidly at him.

"You know Kat," he spoke in a hot whisper as he moved to stand close to her naked body, close enough to run his little finger over her collarbone, she purred in pleasure, "I know you so well," he continued, still maintaining the barest contact with just his finger.

"And I know you so well Nicky,"she shifted to run her hands over his chest, and he captured them in both of his.

"Then you should know me well enough to know I'm capable of ruining your fast ending modelling career," he said, smiling charmingly into her eyes, his voice anything but charming. He continued, "and I've an Intel you are thinking of taking to the stage. Don't forget I know enough about you to make sure you never even smell that dream not to talk of having it in your grasp."

"You bastard!," she cried, jerking her hands out of his and giving him a killing glare.

"You know that much. Now, all I want you to do is go back to were you came from."

"I hate you. You can go to your crazy bitch and little bastard. You all deserve one another. I'm too worthy for the likes of you," she ranted on and on but he only caught the names.

"And don't ever refer to my family in such terms ever again or you'll be kissing the rest of your career goodbye this moment. Like you once said, I've connections," he said smiling with only one side of his lips raised.

She spurted furiously as he turned for the door.

"And don't forget, not a word of this gets out to the press or you are dead meat. Goodbye Katrina."

He slammed the door in emphasis.

No one messed with his family